Kouga's Thirty Kisses
by Minako Miharu
Summary: My entries in the lj-comm 30 Kisses for the Kouga and Kagome pairing. Discontinued.
1. No Idea What He Has

No Idea What He Has (InuYasha, Kouga/Higurashi Kagome, #1)  
Title: No Idea What He Has  
Author/Artist: Minako (minakiwi)  
Pairing: Kouga, Higurashi Kagome  
Fandom: InuYasha  
Theme: #1, Look Over Here  
Word Count: 624  
Disclaimer: All characters are creation of Rumiko Takahashi and are not used for profit.

Kouga knew she was special from the first moment he let his intense blue eyed gaze rest upon her for more than a moment. He had been targeting the hanyou in the red robes to size him up before the real battle started and he was not fool enough to ignore the companions with him; he had not lived as long as he had by ignoring what might come back to bite one in the tail after all. Instinct led him and had yet to steer him wrong, and any group that included both a monk and a taijiya was not one that Kouga wanted to underestimate. But it was the doe eyed slip of a girl that really caught his attention, even before she spoke and let him know that she knew his secret.

She could see that he bore shards of the Sacred Jewel that had increased his natural powers, she could not only see that he had them but she knew where they were as well. It amazed him, though did not distract him enough for him to let that half-breed unleash whatever weird attack he seemed to be directing towards him. Something just was not right about that dog demon get, that was certain. He brooded about it and something else he noticed after he had come back to size them up again before taking what he wanted. Apparently the girl had some sort of attachment to the dog that the dog did not either notice or care for, at least his actions were showing that he didn't. Even the roughest wolf didn't berate their female over something she had no control over, that was just foolish.

The girl was special. She could sense jewel shards, and it was perfectly clear to the Wolf Prince that the dog had no idea what he had in her beyond that. Loyalty was something worth winning after all, or taking away from the unworthy. So of course by that logic and the direness of his need for strength against the enemies of his Pack, it made perfect sense to Kouga to simply take what he wanted. Even now that it was over he could still imagine the perfection of her feisty nature, how she had slapped him when he had declared her his woman, and the soft hint of pink when he had brushed his lips against her cheek.

It wasn't much for a first kiss, just a quick nuzzle in wolf thinking as he had leapt up the mountain to face the King of the Birds of Paradise to reassure her that he was strong enough to come back. But apparently it had done its work because when he had been wounded she had stepped up to aid him and defended him from her companions. He had hoped that she would, even as the pain had clouded his blue eyes he had directed the force of his gaze at her, a silent entreaty to look at him, a plea to look over here. She had, and it made the words he said to her gain crystal clarity with him. Maybe he had been hasty but he'd meant what he said, especially to that hanyou.

"She is my woman, I want her. Do you want her more?"

It might be an uphill battle but anything worth having was worth fighting for, and he had yet to stop feeling that thrill he'd had when his lips had brushed her cheek. Just a nuzzle, but it was a place to start.


	2. Failing

Failing (InuYasha, Kouga / Higurashi Kagome, #2)  
Title: Failing  
Author/Artist: Minako (minakiwi)  
Pairing: Kouga, Higurashi Kagome  
Fandom: InuYasha  
Theme: #2, News; letter  
Word Count: 884  
Warnings: None, though I'd rate this T for one curse word.  
Disclaimer: All characters are creation of Rumiko Takahashi and are not used for profit.

She could only hope that the dejection she was feeling right then was not plastered all over her face as she climbed up the vines that grew inside the Bone Eater's Well. Crumpled in her pocket was a letter from her school telling her that she was failing in her coursework and that if she intended to graduate along with her class things would have to change. Ironically her test scores were more than acceptable, it was her constant absences that were pulling her entire school career down the tubes.

Once she was out she sat on the lip of the old wooden structure that provided her transportation from her home in the future and sighed, taking out the letter and smoothing it out on her thigh before reading it again as if that would somehow change what was written on the stark whiteness of the paper. A gusty sigh escaped pink lips as she felt a little guilty relief that she'd gotten the letter before her Mama had seen it. At least now she could try to fix what was wrong herself without worrying her mother too.

She tried to think of ways to bring up her scores, extra credit things she might do if only she had the time! That thought made her feel even more crestfallen because ironically enough time was the one thing she was in short supply of. Kagome was so engrossed in her thoughts of failing school that she also failed in something else, something that was far more important in the time she was in right now. Belatedly she realized that her miko abilities were clamoring for her attention, that power that enabled her to sense shards of the Sacred Jewel was sounding a warning in her head. Had it been any other youkai she might have been in deadly danger, but once she saw the whirlwind that was accompanying the sense of two shards she relaxed minutely. It was Kouga, the Wolf Prince who had become a semi-fixture in her life and who had declared her quite loudly to be His Woman.

He came to a precise stop just in front of her and bent a little at the waist to take both her hands into his, and for once without the distraction of InuYasha's snarling in the background she let herself feel Kouga's touch. His hands were warm, warmer than Houjou's or InuYasha's; there was a certain roughness to the pads of his fingers that she guessed came from the sort of life he'd led. But there was power there as well, strength and assurance that to whomever he leant those hands to would be protected and perhaps at all costs. She looked up almost expectantly to hear his usual declarative speech, a tiny hint of pink showing on her cheeks as it always did.

He had paused before speaking though, carefully looking over her face before shifting both her hands to one of his so that he could lift the free one to gently brush over her warmed cheek. His voice was deep and a little rough, just like his hands and the thought made her blush deepen even as she realized her lower lip was stuck out and quivering just a little bit. Oh great, way to go Kagome just blubber in front of Kouga! The concern shone on his handsome features as he dropped to one knee to better look at her face.

"Kagome! What's wrong? Is it that damn mutt? Whatever it is, I promise you I'll fix it."

She stilled, feeling a track of heat down one cheek that she knew was a tear spilled over, and she went from delicate pink to cherry red when she felt the sudden softness of Kouga's mouth on her skin. When he moved back the tear was gone and she sighed again.

"I'm failing in school," she confessed. "I'm failing and I don't know if I can do enough to make it right."

Now Kouga had no idea what 'school' was or why Kagome would care if she failed it or not; but he knew her well enough to know that all she needed at this point was a reminder of a few basic things. He made sure she was looking right at him, one finger touching her chin to keep her gaze on his.

"If it's important enough, you will win. After all, you're My Woman and My Woman is strong!"

He rose up then and drew her with him, leaning to lay his lips on her cheek once more before backing away slightly. He sensed InuYasha coming fast after all and did not want the moment ruined by an irate inu-hanyou. He delighted in Kagome's blush and soft stammered reply and he smiled at her. It would not be easy winning this one as a Mate, but seeing the resolve fill her eyes as she glanced at the offending letter anew made him know that his words were true ones. Kagome was strong, and if he had to work his tail off to make sure she remembered that, he would.


	3. Wind in Her Hair

Wind in Her Hair (InuYasha, Kouga / Higurashi Kagome, #3)  
Title: Wind in Her Hair  
Author/Artist: Minako (minakiwi)  
Pairing: Kouga, Higurashi Kagome  
Fandom: InuYasha  
Theme: #3, jolt!  
Word Count: 1974  
Disclaimer: All characters are creation of Rumiko Takahashi and are not used for profit.

It was hardly InuYasha's fault that he was distracted by the sight of Kikyou's Shinidamachu and found himself drawn to follow them, even Kagome admitted that in her most secret of thoughts. It did not ease the ache she felt in her heart though, for she had recently begun to wonder if she had feelings beyond friendship for the inu-hanyou. It seemed a simple enough progression from that time she had stated that he was her lover in order to save her life from the threat of the Thunder Brothers to having more tender feelings for him. Sometimes she even felt like he might have the start of such feelings himself towards her. But that was before Urasue had done the abominable deed of resurrecting Kikyou from her peaceful grave and giving her an animated body of grave soil and sacred bones in which to wander the earth. Of course the demon potter had hoped to use the powers that Kikyou had as a priestess to find the shards of the Sacred Jewel for herself, but that was not what had happened.

Now Kagome stood quietly on the river bank gazing out at the lazy swirls of the water as it passed her by and wondered if maybe the chance she had for love had passed her in the same fashion. With a soft huff of annoyance at the melancholy thought she'd let have reign over her even for a moment. The sun was moving towards the far horizon and soon it would be evening, she knew that she should hurry back towards the more settled area around the village soon. During the day this place was safe enough, but at night there were worse things than wild animals out to hunt and Kagome would rather not present herself as any sort of prey. She'd learned a few valuable lessons on that account during her time here and she was nothing if not an apt pupil.

Her walk was evenly paced but the setting of the sun would overtake her if she didn't start to hurry, though she was oddly reluctant to return. Her steps slowed and she looked back towards the forest where she knew InuYasha was even now meeting with Kikyou. She supposed that she should fear that the undead priestess might try once more to use her magic to take InuYasha to hell; she also supposed that she should be more upset with him for having gone. But things were as they were and she had been the one to come back and promise to stay at his side. Was that promise foolish? Possibly. Yet something drew her back here time and again, and the promise was easily kept for now.

She realized with a bit of a jolt that perhaps there was more drawing her back than her new and untested feelings for her inu-hanyou friend. Well, besides that and her promise to gather up all the shards of the Jewel. She felt deeply that this was her responsibility, her burden, her duty to bear since it had been her arrow that had broken it in the first place. The guilt she felt was more for the results of this shattering; the lives that were lost or put in danger because of otherwise peaceful youkai who were ruined by tainted shards for example weighed heavily on her. Not just for the human lives lost, but the youkai lives as well. She could not help then but think of the wolves of Kouga's pack who had succumbed to the lure of the power and had died at Kagura's hands. She darkly thought of the punishment deserved for such action, and that the punishment should not only come down on the Wind Sorceress but Naraku ... and Kikyou as well.

It had after all been Kikyou who had given Naraku her stolen shards and given him the power to create incarnations such as Kagura. A scowl formed on her lips as again she felt that there would be no one to take any of the three to true task. Kouga though had sworn to give Kagome Naraku's head on a platter. She sighed then, standing still and letting the wind blow around her, making her long ebony hair flutter like streamers on a kite. Kouga ... it seemed that he was on her mind more and more lately, especially on nights like this when InuYasha was absent. She knew when he left camp for the same reason he'd left her standing there on the river bank, she wasn't nearly as stupid as he seemed to sometimes think she was. She tipped her head back and let that wind cool her face, eyes closed, and lifted her hands to sweep them through her hair before lowering her arms to her sides again.

He'd smelled her first, her sweet scent wafting to him over the wind and making his pulse pick up. No one else smelled like His Woman, no one else was close to as appealing to his senses either. It hadn't taken him long to find her, walking on the path back from the river towards that village she seemed to always return to. He followed her for a bit, just on the edge of the range in which she could usually sense him coming so he could simply watch her awhile and keep her safe just in case. He told himself this was because he wanted to protect her, but in truth he wanted to watch her while she wasn't aware he was around because there were times that she became withdrawn and uncomfortable when he was around.

This saddened him in ways he could not put into words, that His Woman would feel unease around him when he was absolutely sincere in what he offered her. There was no deception in his heart or his promises to her, he had never loved another before her and now that he had chosen her no other would do. Because he did love her he was moving slow to win her; it was unfortunate fact that his rival had had more time to grow a bond with her and he couldn't help that no matter how much he truly wanted to rip him to pieces. It wasn't that he couldn't respect the strength the hanyou had shown him, or that he even thought less of him for being a half demon in the first place. What Kouga could truly not stand about InuYasha was the fact that despite his warnings he habitually left His Woman without protection. This did not mean that Kouga thought Kagome was weak; far from it. But he knew that even the strongest being could be taken unawares, and Kagome was young enough to allow herself to be distracted by her emotions and thoughts even when she knew better.

Like now, when she stood on the path with the wind in her hair and looking so breathtakingly beautiful that his heart ached just looking at her. She was powerful enough that she should have been able to sense his presence by now, even if he had no Jewel Shards in his legs. He was a strong enough youkai that his aura should have been a red flag up to warn her that danger was coming, but she stood there almost rooted to the spot. How he wished that it had been thoughts of him that kept her there to quietly think, and not the silver haired dog that was his competition! With a thought he amped up his aura so that it would crackle in the ether and warn her that a demon was near, he wanted to see what she thought about him when he wasn't masking just how strong he was.

It was like another jolt to her system when she felt raw youki wash over her, she was so startled that she actually jumped a little before turning to try and see what was coming towards her and fast now. Her heartbeat sped up almost painfully and her lips parted to allow her panting breaths to escape. She was a little afraid, and she almost called for InuYasha ... then remembered that even if he could hear her, he wouldn't abandon Kikyou to come. Well, she'd brought this on herself for stopping, not hurrying back to the village the moment that she'd been left alone. She squared her shoulders bravely and then realized something. This demon had two shards! Her eyes widened and she felt a squiggle of hope bloom inside her. It could be Kouga, and not something out to make her its dinner! The relief she felt when she saw the whirlwind he traveled in almost made her collapse to her knees, and she smiled even though she knew it must look a bit shaky.

"Kouga!"

Her voice was glad enough that it was him that when he stopped and the wind of his arrival fluttered her skirt and the hem of her shirt she almost giggled. His hands were there and holding her own, and he let his intense blue gaze search hers a moment before he spoke. It was clear that he wanted to ask her something and for a moment she wondered what ... and blushed deeply when he actually asked her what she had been thinking of, standing there with the wind teasing at her. Her voice cracked just a little but she tipped up her chin as confidently as she could.

"I was thinking about you."

The Wolf Prince was stock still for a moment and she realized that she had actually struck him speechless. It gave her a tiny feeling of almost power that she could do that to anyone, especially someone as handsome as he. Then his shock wore off and he smiled, a smile that she realized was her creation and that made her heart do a funny little jig. Who would have thought that she, someone she considered cute at best and ordinary looking at worst could make someone like him so happy by saying something so simple? It made her smile back, and he leaned forward. For a moment she wondered if he would kiss her and almost panicked because she had no experience with real kisses and didn't know if she would be any good at it. Then the warmth of his mouth was there at her forehead, and daringly he brushed his lips over both her eyelids, then her cheeks. He pulled back just before his lips met hers, and she blushed again when she realized that her lips had parted in anticipation.

His thumb was there to caress her bottom lip, and his smile seemed just a little dazed. He wanted to take that last step, but something was holding him back. He realized then that he wanted her to ask him to kiss her, and not out of arrogance but because he would know that the moment she asked him for that intimacy that he would have won in her heart against his rival. She would never willingly ask for a kiss if she wanted to kiss another, that much he knew about her. But now maybe he had planted the seed in her to actually want him to kiss her, and after all His Woman had been thinking about him when she had been standing there and looking so beautiful!

He walked her the rest of the way to the village, letting her set the pace and perfectly content to do so. The fact that he caught her a few times glancing at him, more specifically at his lips made his chest swell with male pride. Maybe he didn't truly have a shot in hell of getting her to love him, but he would be damned if he'd give up now.


	4. Bleak

Bleak Moments (InuYasha, Kouga / Higurashi Kagome, #4)  
Title: Bleak Moments  
Author/Artist: Minako (minakiwi)  
Pairing: Kouga, Higurashi Kagome  
Fandom: InuYasha  
Theme: #4, Our distance and that person  
Word Count: 871  
Disclaimer: All characters are creation of Rumiko Takahashi and are not used for profit.

Doubt was not a familiar emotion for the Yourouzoku Prince. In point of fact were someone to ask any of his followers or those he counted as friends to describe him in one word, that word would most often be confident. Unless one were to perhaps ask InuYasha, then the word might just be stupid – followed of course by the usual ranting dissertation that would leave no doubt as to the hanyou's true feelings about his youkai rival. Most of the time Kouga would agree with the first assessment himself. There were however bleak moments in which he would more agree with InuYasha's, even if he kept those moments to himself.

At least, he tried to keep those moments to himself. Unfortunately the girl he loved was in front of him right now, and she was more perceptive than most. They had been fighting a rather one-sided battle against a horde of Naraku's minions when Kouga and his companions Ginta and Hakkaku literally jumped in at the last minute to render aid. Injuries had been sustained ranging from the more serious cracked wrist Sango was sporting to the scratches the Kitsune Shippou had from various flying debris. Kouga's vivid blue eyes followed Kagome as she made her way around tending to the wounded, her hands showing her hard won skill as she moved.

Her touch was tender with the kit, firm with his wolves and InuYasha, she seemed to know how to handle each of them. She had soft words of comfort for them all, even though the hanyou gave her only gruff moderated curses in return she did not stint with him either. Kouga pretended that it didn't hurt him that she had yet to come to his side and even ask if he was wounded. She had to know he was, considering that he had taken the wound in her place, shoving her aside before the claws could shred her delicate skin. He closed his eyes then, it was too hard to watch her speak so familiarly with InuYasha while he sat with his hand over his wound.

Perhaps it might make him just as stupid as the mutt always said he was, but he wasn't about to beg for Kagome's help. He was a full-blooded youkai and would heal whether he was tended to or not since nothing was further aggravating his wound. He let out a gusty sigh and opened his eyes only to inwardly panic a moment and wonder if he was blind since all he could see at first was white. He got hit full in the nose then with Kagome's scent and tilted his head back just a bit, the concern on her face making that knot of pain around his heart loosen just a little.

Her soft voice undid it all together, as she cautiously reached for his hand to move it away from the injury so she could better look at it. She scolded him then in a fashion that made him wish he could flatten his own ears the way the hanyou did, a huff of frustration coming from her.

"Kouga!! Why didn't you say something? You've been sitting here bleeding while I bandaged everyone else! I didn't even see you get hit!"

Shippou piped up, and Kouga wanted to bless him even as InuYasha growled and told him to shut up.  
"Sure you did Kagome! It was when he knocked you over, that big bear was trying to gut you and Kouga got in the way, he was so brave!"

Her blue eyes got so wide then, her lower lip trembling, and Kouga realized abruptly that she honestly hadn't known he had taken a blow for her. His voice was low and comforting as he saw those eyes well with tears, and he reached up to pat her cheek gently.

"It's all right Kagome, I'm strong, I can take it."

Her expression crumpled and she launched herself into his arms, wailing a bit as tears wet his neck and InuYasha snarled at him to let her go.

"It's not all right! I was mad at you for knocking me down, I didn't know you'd gotten hurt for me! I'm so sorry Kouga!"

He gently nuzzled her cheek on the side away from InuYasha, and pressed his lips to her earlobe, and the pulse point below that, whispering in his deep voice and making her skin suddenly heat with her blush.

"I forgive you, Kagome. My Woman is allowed to get mad at me for knocking her down while I save her."

She laughed a little and blushed, just like he'd intended to. He wanted so badly then to toss her over his shoulder and take off with her, but he had to be content with the distance she needed while they were in front of InuYasha. She tended his wound and didn't even care that his blood had stained her white blouse, and he caught her later thoughtfully touching the spots, and he knew she was thinking about what he had done.

Her smile drove away the last feeling from that earlier bleak moment, because he knew right then that the only youkai in her heart was him.


	5. Stillness

Stillness (InuYasha, Kouga / Higurashi Kagome, #5)  
Title: Stillness  
Author/Artist: Minako (minakiwi)  
Pairing: Kouga, Higurashi Kagome  
Fandom: InuYasha  
Theme: #5, "ano sa" ("hey, you know...")  
Word Count: 531  
Disclaimer: All characters are creation of Rumiko Takahashi and are not used for profit.  
AN: For some reason this keeps making me think it wants to be two separate stories. Rotten plot bunnies.

Sometimes in the middle of the night he would find himself still. This might seem a strange observation to some, but truth of the matter was if Kouga was awake Kouga was moving. But sometimes he would find himself still, and when he was still he would question himself. Not that he doubted himself, but in considering fashion he would go over his goals and ask himself the questions that good leaders would ask themselves. A strong leader might for example think – Should we invade that territory there and take their resources for our own just because we can? But Kouga had learned that a good leader often took further things into consideration, such as – If we invade are we making more enemies where instead we might make allies by combining our resources?

Such thinking was unprecedented in a Yourouzoku Prince, and fact of the matter was it was just that thinking that might one day make him the greatest Yourouzoku Prince that had ever ruled. If Naraku's plots would leave any Yourouzoku alive, that is. The wolves that had died and then danced at Kagura's whim had not all been of his Pack, but they were still the same kind of youkai he was, and that mattered, made them brothers. Even though the ones of his Pack had been there in disobedience to his wishes if not his direct orders it still did not matter in the end. They had died, and the Yourouzoku who had never been overwhelming in numbers diminished just that much more.

It was not something Kouga intended to take lightly, this potential extermination of his very kind. He refused to view a future in which there would not be quiet moments by the Den fire with the weight of his sleepy cubs holding down his limbs, that was the sort of stillness he felt that he would truly enjoy. In those glimpses of the future those cubs always had his blue eyes but the shape of those eyes was purely Kagome and he knew what it was that made him think more, made him plan ahead more, just made him more.

The next time his group 'accidentally' crossed paths with Kagome's he took her hands as usual but this time he did not allow himself to be immediately baited by InuYasha's rantings. This time he gazed at her so intently that she blushed and he laughed, brushing a kiss to her nose and quietly thanking her. When she asked him why, all he would say was that she deserved it. Afterwards Shippou scratched his head and turned to Miroku.

"Hey Miroku ... you know something? I think maybe Kouga really does love her."

Miroku nodded, he'd been observing the pair every time they interacted since he first noticed something changing in the brash demon wolf.

"I think that InuYasha better watch himself around Kouga, he might actually turn into real competition for Kagome's affections."

"HEY! You mind not talking about me like I'm not standing right here??"

Any intelligent conversation went right out the window after that, and none of them noticed Kagome's fingertips lightly brushing the spot on her nose where Kouga's lips had rested.


	6. In My Heart

Title: In My Heart  
Author/Artist: Minako (minakiwi)  
Pairing: Higurashi Kagome / Kouga  
Fandom: InuYasha

Rating: G

Word Count: 515  
Theme: # 6. the space between dream and reality  
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi and no infringement is meant with their use.

He knew he'd been dreaming even as it happened but that didn't change the wrath he felt when Ginta woke him up fully. There had been that brief moment, that space between dream and reality, when he prayed that the touch on his arm was the soft hand of his love, not the rough calloused one of his loyal follower and friend. That loyalty led Kouga to merely growl out his displeasure at being woken rather than snap his fangs at his bewildered friend, but he desired nothing more in that moment than to once again escape into the refuge of sleep.

With a sigh though he heaved himself up from the warm hollow on the ground to take his turn at watch, he'd promised Ginta and Hakkaku a full night of rest and he was a wolf of his word. He pretended not to see the rueful look on his friend's face and he took up the position of guard, and while his senses were viciously alert his mind wandered. Kagome. He saw her visage wherever he looked, the stars reminded him of her eyes and the way the wind stirred the water of the stream put him in mind of her dark hair.

To him she was the most beautiful girl that had ever walked solid ground, Kouga didn't care that she was human, and a miko to boot. As a yourouzoku Prince what she was should have been anathema to his very soul, but she wasn't. Kagome was his strength and his weakness, she was his vision of the future, she was ... she was his love. He closed his vivid blue eyes and while his ears were pricked to catch any noise and his youki spanned out to detect any threat, he somehow didn't feel the reiki until it was upon him.

Yet he did not panic at that soft buzz of holy energy, his heart sped up in excitement because there was only one human with that sort of power that did not set off his instinctive warning bells. He did not open his eyes as he slid his strong arms around her, did not open them even as he felt her slim form slide up his chest and her small fingers grip the edge of his breastplate for leverage. He wanted to when he felt her soft lips on his, the scent of her breath touched with sakura and apples from the candy she'd eaten drawing his tongue to taste her lips in fascination.

But he did not lest he break the spell, this special gift, by disbelieving in it. He knew it wasn't possible for her to truly be here in the flesh, but she felt real enough in his arms and her skin was warm to his questing hands as he kissed her deeper. When the kiss finally broke he heard her soft giggle, the exhale of his name on the wind and then she was gone. His lips curved in a satisfied smile, as it seems he was not the only one dreaming this night after all.


	7. Amazed

Title: Amazed  
Author/Artist: Minako (minakiwi)  
Pairing: Higurashi Kagome / Kouga  
Fandom: InuYasha

Rating: G

Word Count: 963  
Theme: # 7. superstar  
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi and no infringement is meant with their use.

It had been one of the few times in which she had actually been there to attend school, and Kagome could not remember feeling so nervous before. Her mother bless her had made sure that all the homework she'd finished and InuYasha had ferried through for her was turned in, but without the feedback contact with teachers would give her she was unsure if what she had done was what was needed. As it was nearing the end of the quarter she was becoming more and more nervous, and to her surprise InuYasha had unbent enough to allow her to return home without much of a fight put up. Normally they would have had to argue at least half the day but it was almost as if he felt pity on her plight and let it go after a few rocky sentences and a gruff "keh" of displeasure.

The real reason he'd been so eager to see her off however she realized the moment before she leapt into the well. It was so fast that it was almost more of an impression, but she saw Kouga lingering in the tree line as if he had been merely watching and waiting for InuYasha to get so angry that he'd storm off. The look on Kouga's face had tugged at her heartstrings somehow, and she'd even gone so far as to stretch out her hand towards him mid-jump, but it was too late and the cool winds of time caressing her legs and making her hair billow up made her focus on home. She was back to nervously biting her lip the closer her steps took her to her house. What if her homework had been below adequate? Sub par even! Yet after her family's warm welcome and dinner, she finally let the worry about school go long enough to consider that last glimpse of Kouga. He had looked ... what, lonely? Worried?

The thoughts of him were the last thing in her mind's eye when she fell asleep, and carried over to the next morning as she got ready for school. Concentrating on Kouga and what he might or might not want was enough to take her mind off school until she was actually there, listening to her friends chatter about grades and the fact that today there was a large assembly after lunch to congratulate the students who had made passing grades sufficient enough to go on to the next level. Kagome felt the color drain from her face, and her eyes were suddenly swimming with tears, because she was just sure that of all the students in her grade that her name would not be called. Her friends had reacted immediately to calm her down, feeling bad that their chatter must have upset the girl who missed so much school. At least Ari had had the decency to remind her that her work was always good in the past so surely she would move ahead.

She was nearly shaking as she sat there, gloomy and wondering if in the end when her name wasn't called if she would break down into tears in front of the whole school or if she could wait until she fled the room. As the names kept being read met with smatterings of applause, she swore she suddenly felt hot breath on her cheek and Kouga's warm voice in her ear, gruff and earnest. "Kagome what are you doing to yourself? You're strong, remember? My woman is strong and sweet and never forget that!"

She let out a shaky breath and nodded, even though she knew he wasn't really there. She sat up straighter and squared her shoulders. So what if her name wasn't called? She was strong! She'd get through it and figure out what to do later! Even so when she did hear her name she squealed with excitement and felt like a superstar, as if she were up on stage and giving the performance of her life. She couldn't wait to rush home and share the news with her family, though after dinner she went to the well house and jumped down, through to the past. She wasn't due back yet, but something told her she should go and so she did. Nearly as soon as she cleared the lip of the well she was grabbed up into a tight hug, but she knew immediately it was Kouga and didn't struggle. Something was wrong, had to be for him to have waited, so she simply put her arms around him and let him hold her.

She felt his lips on her forehead, a sweet kiss to each eyelid, and he brushed his lips to her mouth even as she blushed. The pink tinged her cheeks with a warm flush and he buried his face between her shoulder and her neck. His breathing was rough, as if he held back some vicious emotion, and she simply let him hold her, her hands running through his dark hair and almost frightened at his near haggard appearance. He didn't tell her in words what had happened but she knew that it was bad, and most likely Naraku's doing. Kouga whispered her name then, and said something that haunted her.

"I shouldn't have come, but I needed to know that there is good in this life. Kagome, Kagome."

She gathered up that feeling she had when she had felt his love, his whisper when she needed the support, and then she lurched forward and planted her lips on his. The kiss was inelegant at best, her youth and inexperience showing in the technique. But it was heartfelt and the look on his face when she pulled back again made her feel just like a superstar.


End file.
